Community Honors Capitol Hill Beating Victim At Festival

WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- It took a tragedy for the community to come together Sunday.

Thirty-year-old TC Maslin has been in the hospital suffering from a traumatic brain injury ever since he was beaten with a baseball bat and a BB gun on his way home from a Nationals game in August. The crooks took his cell phone and credit card.

Sunny Kuti, 17, of Southeast Washington, Tommy Branch, 21, of Fort Washington and Michael Moore, 18, of Landover are being held without bond in connection with the brutal beating.

Hundreds of Capitol Hill residents, came together in a community event in his honor for the Ward 6 Fall Safety Festival. All proceeds go to the Maslin Family Fund.

The fun family affair is one that TC Maslin would have enjoyed, according to his wife, Abby.

Abby said, "He would be amazed so many people care. I wish he could be here today. We feel so loved."

Daniel Holt is a friend who says, "It's wrenching to know what she's going through."

Jesse Tampio doesn't know the family but says he was affected by the incident. He's married with a one-year-old child.

"We care about the neighborhood and rising crime. As bad luck would have it, we got struck by crime last night. Our garage was broken into and three bikes were stolen," shared Tampio.

Abby is a teacher at Brentwood Elementary School, but now she cares for TC and their little boy full time. Every penny earned at this event will go to the Maslin Family Fund.

The Nationals donated baseball memorabilia to be raffled off and made TC his own Jersey with his name on it.

Supporters took a moment to write the young, loving, father messages.

Abby says, "I'm still shocked that this is where we are. This is the kind of day we would've been having together just a few months ago and it's hard to think we are far apart and alone and that such a hideous thing has happened to us. It's still hard to accept."

TC will have to learn how to speak, walk and make up for lost time. He's missing out on his son's life who's two weeks shy of his 2nd birthday.

Abby says their son Jack asks about his dad all the time.

Nearly $20,000 has been raised, so far, for the family.

Abby visits TC in the hospital every day. He's expected to be discharged in a month.